Vet reckons little feral pony might be in foal - if she is, what do I need to know?

[maya2008]

Vet said to watch her for any signs of bagging up, and accelerate the handling we are doing. She did not look like this on arrival!

We have a spare paddock with long grass she could go into - it is scheduled for fencing next week.

Beyond that... what do I need to know?

 

[windand rain]

If you are on Facebook join the foaling hub it has lots of tips. Most ponies need to be supervised 24/7 once the foal is imminent. Never leave her unsupervised day or night if you suspect she is in labour
signs are
bagging up usually up to 6 weks prior but can be after the foal has arrived
softening of the tail head muscles so the tail becomes soft and easy to move
belly changes shape dropping lower and narrower as the foal gets into diving position
drpping milk is often the last sign and the foal arives within hours (but not always)
Foal should arrive in the outside world in diving position so nose between both front legs one front leg will be slightly in front of the other so the shoulders are not straight on.
Should you need to help you should gently pull the foal in an arc towards the hocks not straight
Make sure you have a vet or very experienced foaling buddy as if things go wrong the do so quickly.

 

[maya2008]

Thank you! I will look for the foaling hub.

 

[milliepops]

another recommendation for the Foaling Hub, there is another group called Need To Know Info for The Foaling Hub which has lots of posts on handy topics with links for more info. i was a first time breeder this time last year preparing to foal down at home due to the pandemic and i found it a good source of info and ideas of things to look into or prepare. I had back up from the stud which was local but we did OK by ourselves, i was lucky that my mare had a textbook foaling and she's an easy girl anyway.

good luck

 

[paddy555]

has she foaled before? I tried to keep an eye out on my feral who was a BOGOF. I especially wanted to see the foal being born. Then we went for a ride, only an hour, and she seized her opportunity. baby waiting for us on our return. My mare had previously had around 15 foals so I guessed she would probably know more about it than I did.

 

[brighteyes]

has she foaled before? I tried to keep an eye out on my feral who was a BOGOF. I especially wanted to see the foal being born. Then we went for a ride, only an hour, and she seized her opportunity. baby waiting for us on our return. My mare had previously had around 15 foals so I guessed she would probably know more about it than I did.

An hour? I seriously went in and made a brew - so ten minutes at the very outside. I had put the mare out for a peck of grass and...

 

[paddy555]

An hour? I seriously went in and made a brew - so ten minutes at the very outside. I had put the mare out for a peck of grass and...

yeah, I think they have got us sorted!

 

[maya2008]

has she foaled before?

No - she was aged by two vets as 2yo on arrival in the UK (passporting vet doing the bunch that came off the lorry, then initial buyer’s vet on arrival at their stables). She came to us a few weeks later.

I freely admit I know nothing - vets are good and local, although strange people terrify her. I can get a camera for the field if she bags up so I can keep an eye from home. We only live 2 mins away.

 

[ihatework]

Okay, if she is feral and not well handled I’d probably try and get/herd her contained in a reasonably enclosed area for the foreseeable. If you pop her out in a grassy paddock and she foals you may find it’s a case that you don’t get near her for a number of weeks. She is native in good condition so doesn’t need heaps of good grass anyway. More important to stand half a chance of getting near her and potential baby! Whilst I wouldn’t routinely keep something headcollared, I would for yours.

 

[maya2008]

Okay, if she is feral and not well handled I’d probably try and get/herd her contained in a reasonably enclosed area for the foreseeable. If you pop her out in a grassy paddock and she foals you may find it’s a case that you don’t get near her for a number of weeks. She is native in good condition so doesn’t need heaps of good grass anyway. More important to stand half a chance of getting near her and potential baby! Whilst I wouldn’t routinely keep headcollared, I would for yours.

The grassy paddock is the smallest area I have - they are still in the winter paddock which now has very little grass so there is still haylage going out. The others are natives, doing well on fresh air.

She comes up to us freely for food now and isn’t scared, but associates head collar/rope with bad things so we are working on that (full on panic - I think she thinks we will put her back on a lorry and move her again every time she sees one!).

Really bad picture - but is this good enough condition to produce milk if she does foal on a ‘fat paddock’ with almost no grass (everywhere else was used last winter)? Haylage will stop in the next couple of weeks… I ate loads while feeding my babies - and lost weight. I figured she would need more?

Our grass isn’t ‘good’ at any time - even when long, the lami ponies aren’t affected.

 

[ihatework]

Well she isn’t fat, but neither is she poor. These little natives are designed to thrive on scrub remember. That said, once the foal is on the ground (and looking at her I’d say there is a very good chance she is pregnant) then she will be fine to go on some grass.

Whilst you are right/fine to be thinking about nutrition and the actual foaling - all I’m trying to highlight is don’t overlook the logistics.

You really do need to do your utmost to be able to reliably catch/contain the mare. You need to consider how to move them undercover if needed. Do you have stabling / shelter? What if the weather is horrific (new foals aren’t that waterproof!)? What if there is a complication with either mare or foal that means you need vet intervention?

If the mare gets onto a paddock with grass before you get on top of her she has very little incentive to come to you (unlike now where she is sufficiently hungry!)

 

[maya2008]

Well she isn’t fat, but neither is she poor. These little natives are designed to thrive on scrub remember. That said, once the foal is on the ground (and looking at her I’d say there is a very good chance she is pregnant) then she will be fine to go on some grass.

Whilst you are right/fine to be thinking about nutrition and the actual foaling - all I’m trying to highlight is don’t overlook the logistics.

You really do need to do your utmost to be able to reliably catch/contain the mare. You need to consider how to move them undercover if needed. Do you have stabling / shelter? What if the weather is horrific (new foals aren’t that waterproof!)? What if there is a complication with either mare or foal that means you need vet intervention?

If the mare gets onto a paddock with grass before you get on top of her she has very little incentive to come to you (unlike now where she is sufficiently hungry!)

That’s good to know. I was going to leave her where she was for now (there is a gate to the grassy paddock from this one so she could follow through with a food bucket).

Handling is a big focus anyway. She has come on hugely in the last couple of weeks, my husband managed to brush her yesterday! When she is ready, I am going to get friends to come and give her a polo etc so she gets more used to a variety of people.

Shelter - is an issue. We have hedgerows in the paddock with grass and an old rickety barn with ‘stables’ that are not particularly solid. In the ‘fat paddock’ with the other ponies there are large oak trees to provide shelter.

I wasn’t planning on a foal... hence not having facilities for one! I have desperately been hoping she isn’t in foal, but am beginning to think maybe she really is - hence the thread. One of my mares is also being very protective - making sure she isn’t chased off the haylage, keeping her away when anyone is in a bad mood.

 

[windand rain]

She should be fine foaling outside but as IHW said in an emergency you need to be able to catch her to help so a small area of grass and get her used to torches and night visits well before you need them you dont want her freaking out at the appearance of a person with a torch. If she comes close for food then it might be worth dividing any feeds into lots of small meals so she will come close more often

 

[paddy555]

The grassy paddock is the smallest area I have - they are still in the winter paddock which now has very little grass so there is still haylage going out. The others are natives, doing well on fresh air.

She comes up to us freely for food now and isn’t scared, but associates head collar/rope with bad things so we are working on that (full on panic - I think she thinks we will put her back on a lorry and move her again every time she sees one!).

Really bad picture - but is this good enough condition to produce milk if she does foal on a ‘fat paddock’ with almost no grass (everywhere else was used last winter)? Haylage will stop in the next couple of weeks… I ate loads while feeding my babies - and lost weight. I figured she would need more?

Our grass isn’t ‘good’ at any time - even when long, the lami ponies aren’t affected.

as a feral I expect she will cope but you could always top her up with bucket feed. Ours came in terrible condition and still managed OK
She came end of the Nov. I brought her in and basically demanded something was done about her. Her foal still on her was larger than she was. Got rid of the foal and I took her on. She was obviously in foal again as stallions were running on the common. Fed her up but it didn't work. I was told she was around 17. We were later able to date her and she was 25 if she was a day. It was little wonder she was so poor and we couldn't get condition on her

Even in that state she fed the foal fine and we topped up her grass with bucket feeds.



If things go wrong she will probably accept help. Another of mine sounds very similar to yours, terrified especially of headcollars etc. Can just about catch him on a good day and that is after 15 years with us. Couple of weeks ago he got impacted colic. Push a very long, wide tube down into my stomach and pour liquid in, couple of injections? why would I have a problem? He survived, is now back in the field and back to normal, still difficult to catch and handle but he gave in and accepted help when it mattered.


which area did she come from (if you don't mind me asking)

 

[brighteyes]

Well she isn’t fat, but neither is she poor. These little natives are designed to thrive on scrub remember. That said, once the foal is on the ground (and looking at her I’d say there is a very good chance she is pregnant) then she will be fine to go on some grass.

Whilst you are right/fine to be thinking about nutrition and the actual foaling - all I’m trying to highlight is don’t overlook the logistics.

You really do need to do your utmost to be able to reliably catch/contain the mare. You need to consider how to move them undercover if needed. Do you have stabling / shelter? What if the weather is horrific (new foals aren’t that waterproof!)? What if there is a complication with either mare or foal that means you need vet intervention?

If the mare gets onto a paddock with grass before you get on top of her she has very little incentive to come to you (unlike now where she is sufficiently hungry!)

Bless her, if she is 2 or thereabouts, she will still be growing, also?

 

[Orangehorse]

Hope everything goes well, but please be prepared with a list of telephone numbers for an emergency.
Foaling should be quite quick, so if they are being slow and struggling it is a vet job. In my vet's surgery a foaling mare is top of the list for priority emergency. I would have a word with your vet to ask about how long it should take and when to get help if necessary.

One person who had bred lots of foals said that she always put a headcollar on one end and an enema at the other!
Leather foal slip so it would break, synthetic headcollars do not break which can be disastrous.

Native ponies are pretty tough though, I really hope it all goes well and you end up with a lovely foal.

 

[meleeka]

ooh I love these threads.

Please do keep us updated (do you have an idea of who the dad could be?)

 

[maya2008]

Hope everything goes well, but please be prepared with a list of telephone numbers for an emergency.
Foaling should be quite quick, so if they are being slow and struggling it is a vet job. In my vet's surgery a foaling mare is top of the list for priority emergency. I would have a word with your vet to ask about how long it should take and when to get help if necessary.


Leather foal slip so it would break, synthetic headcollars do not break which can be disastrous.

Telephone numbers = vet, right?

I am guessing a leather foal slip for a foal of unknown origin being born to an 11.2hh mare would be… small size, mini size? Vet said size of foal is determined by the dam (who will eventually be about 12.2hh I would guess).

She trusts my husband most. If she goes into labour, he will stand the best chance of helping her. We were imagining that call to work if needed - ‘I need to take the day off because my pony is having a baby’…wonder how that would go down?

My son has started the process of handling her also. Not sure who is more scared of whom, but husband’s coblet is getting jealous and that isn’t a good thing. Son’s pony isn’t the jealous type, so if he can feed and brush her at least once a day there will be fewer problems.

 

[AmyMay]

You don’t need to be worrying about a foal slip any time soon.

Some great advice up thread.

 

[maya2008]

You don’t need to be worrying about a foal slip any time soon.

Some great advice up thread.

I kind of wanted to make some ‘what if’ plans (e.g. what do I order from where, what signs to look out for etc), then go back to sticking my head in the metaphorical sand and just keeping going with the handling, calm in the knowledge that I have a plan!

 

[D66]

If you have to make an excuse for work blame, "a family emergency", and if asked what happened, "Oh it's all sorted now, thank-you".

 

[maya2008]

Today… she’s pregnant for sure isn’t she?!

 

[meleeka]

She’s probably the most pregnant pony i’ve seen, yes.

 

[Equi]

If she isnt then id be very very surprised.

 

[tristar]

.have the vet no. to hand, i always ring as soon as foaling starts, because you only have a small window of opportunity to get the foal out alive if it goes wrong.

anything about to foal needs to be observed 24 7, most foals we have had were born in the night , if she is looking close i would always put in at night, they usually wait till you go for tea to start, as most prefer, to foal alone

you need to check the afterbirth is complete to avoid infection in the mare

let the foal lie there after delivery so the blood can pass through the cord from mare to foal, ideally the cord will break as the foal stands up, it is a better way as it will seal itself and avoid infection than cutting, dont interfere too much let it take its time to stand. then make sure it is feeding properly to get the colostrum

having her in somewhere will make it easier if it goes wrong and they sweat a fair bit usually and after can rest in the straw to recover, also out of any bad weather

 

[maya2008]

.have the vet no. to hand, i always ring as soon as foaling starts, because you only have a small window of opportunity to get the foal out alive if it goes wrong.

anything about to foal needs to be observed 24 7, most foals we have had were born in the night , if she is looking close i would always put in at night, they usually wait till you go for tea to start, as most prefer, to foal alone

you need to check the afterbirth is complete to avoid infection in the mare

let the foal lie there after delivery so the blood can pass through the cord from mare to foal, ideally the cord will break as the foal stands up, it is a better way as it will seal itself and avoid infection than cutting, dont interfere too much let it take its time to stand. then make sure it is feeding properly to get the colostrum

having her in somewhere will make it easier if it goes wrong and they sweat a fair bit usually and after can rest in the straw to recover, also out of any bad weather

Thanks - observe 24/7 from what point? For how long? No staff here...two adults who need to work to pay the bills, and primary aged children. Doable for a couple of days at most. There's someone there all day long most days, and our neighbour potters around on his land with his animals also. We can check at 10/11pm, 3am, 6am from whenever would be a good idea. If waxing up or producing milk I guess it's within a couple of days so could do emergency holiday from work - but that's it. Will that do?

Do we need to separate her from the others before we think she's in labour? She's in with one gelding, four mares. Settled herd, everyone's got a nice temperament and the mares are being protective of her, ushering her over to the food, keeping her away from any arguments. If we separate, at what point would we do that? Separate from all of them, or leave with a good friend? She was hungry and needy tonight, following my husband around for reassurance even after he'd fed her and put haylage out. Let me stroke her today, and is staying very close to her best friend. She is so young for all this.

 

[milliepops]

I saved the placenta in an old clean bucket with a lid for vet to check the next day (my mare foaled in the evening) . As a newbie breeder I had a look myself but wanted someone to double check I was correct that it was all there.

 

[Equi]

Will that do?

Mare don't do what we want ever. I had CCTV set up, an alarm set to every 15mins. I knew she was "close" but the PH tests were not saying imminent, she was not hugely bagged, vulva was not flushed or overly stretched, tummy was not particularly V shape. Checked the CCTV at approx 5:15AM, mare standing eating. didn't quite get back over to sleep and at 5:20AM i looked again and there was a foal on the floor.

As for separating, mares in the wild will be more inclined to separate themselves and come back with the foal. In our world they don't have the space to do that so it can be very stressful for them to have to fight off all the curious onlookers and a foal can get confused or pinched by a particularly hormonal/possessive mare. If you find her naturally trying to spend more time away from everyone else you should separate. Can you do that with proper fencing or will it be electric? Because i would not at all be happy using electric. If the foal ended up on one side and the mare the other, its a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[TheMule]

You ideally need to separate her from all the others, I wouldn’t risk a foal being born in with the others.
The udder is the most reliable indicator of how close to foaling she is so get her used to you taking photos from underneath if you can. She does need close watching, foalings can go wrong incredibly quickly. Can you put a camera on her? I have a Reolink Go which doesnt need internet or electricity so can just go up in the fieldno you can watch from anywhere. Overnight she will need checking at least once per hour.

 

[AmyMay]

I’d separate her from the main herd, except for her good friend. I certainly wouldn’t want her in with all of them at foaling, especially the gelding. I echo others about monitoring her closely. She’s so young to be foaling alone.